Tennis net center band attaching equipment



Sept. 15, 1942.

R. s. BUNKER TENNIS NET CENTER BAND ATTACHING EQUIPMENT Filed Jan. '16, 1941 INVENTOR, 7P0 01/ B BY 8 e A'TTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1942 TENNIS NET CENTER BAND ATTACHING EQUIPMEN Royce S. Bunker, Baltimore, Md., assi'gnor to The Itinen Thread 00., Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 16, 1941, Serial No. 374,731

3. Claims.

This invention relates to. nets used, for instance, in the game of tennis and particularly to the equipment which is usually positioned at the center of the net to hold its top margin down to a certain determined elevation and also restrain the net against undue displacement under the impact of the balls. This equipment usually ineludes a band embracing or straddling the net, an anchoring device, set in the ground and some expedient for coupling the band to the anchoring device, as detachably. The means which comprises the anchoring device and coupling expedient is usually such that whereas it may hold the top margin of the net at the proper elevation, it prevents the bottom margin of the net at the center from hanging straight down; that is to say, it undesirably supports this center bottom part of the net in a gathered state so that the bottom margin of the net is not substantially parallel with the ground from end to end but is more or less held up at the center. According to this invention this fault is overcome. Further, whereas the anchoring device of the improved means for connecting the band with the ground may and preferably does not project appreciably above the ground, the coupling device thereof is capable of being readily connected to or disconnected from the anchoring :device and when connected therewith it is proof against being accidentally detached therefrom. Again, the improved means is simple in construction and requires the minimum of cost to manufacture.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows the net and band, partly broken away, the band being held down by the means of this invention, which appears partly in elevation and partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the coupling device and of fragments of the band;

Fig. 3 is an underneath plan of said device;

Fig. 4 is a plan of said means, with the coupling device in section; and

Fig. 5 is a plan of the blank from which one of the parts of the coupling device is formed.

a designates the net and b the usual fabric band straddling the net. The band may have any conventional type of device, as a buckle (not shown), for varying its longitudinal extent.

The anchoring device consists of a plug l, spreferably of metal, having a tubular upper end portion and its lower end portion tapered so that the device may be readily driven into the ground G, prefer-ably leaving its upper end about level with the ground, as shown in Fig. 1. Its upper end is open and somewhat below such end it has diametrically opposite inwardly projecting projections, as studs 2.

The coupling device here comprises what. is essentially a disk-shaped base or disk, which is notched at substantially opposite points, and upstanding from the base a shank slotted in the horizontal direction, such shank in the present example having a forked upper end. each part of which is provided with the slot. Preferably this coupling device is formed as follows: Two identical sheet-metal blanks. 3 being provided as shown in Fig. 5, each is bent at right angles and transversely in one direction on the line So, in the opposite direction on line 3b and again in the latter direction on line 30. With the portions 301: of the two blanks then face to face and so that the portions 3y lie in the same plane such portions 3a: are secured together by rivets 4. The device, thus completed, provides by its portions 3y the mentioned disk 5 and by its portions 3.1: the mentioned shank 6, the latter having its upper end forked as shown in Fig. 2. Each part of the fork is provided with a longitudinal slot 1. Since each line of bending 3c is inward of the corresponding diameter line 3d of the half-disk portion 3y, there are left in the disk 5 opposite notches 8. The disk is of such diameter as to enter the tubular upper portion of the plug I or anchoring device but not topass the studs 2 except that the coupling device has first been turned to a position in which its notches (each of which is wide and deep enough to receive either stud) register with the studs.

If the band is as shown, or not continuous, its ends are extended through the respective slots I and then each stitched back on itself. But the band may of course be endless (except in the sense that a buckle or equivalent will usually be present for adjusting it), inwhich case it may extend through both slots.

The anchoring device should be set in the ground so that its studs lie in a vertical plane crossing that of the net, as at right angles thereto. In the effort in such case to connect the coupling device with the anchoring device it is necessary to distort, by twisting, the band from its normal state. Once the connection is thus established it is retained until, by manual effort, the coupling device is rotated to bring its notches again in register with the studs.

The preferred construction is such that when the coupling device is connected to the anchoring device those portions of the former Which in the blanks lie between the lines 3a and 3b (and designated 3.2: in Fig. 5) rest on the top of the anchoring device I, or at least approximately at ground level. Therefore, at least when the band has its ends as shown respectively attached to the two parts of the shank-fork, it is possible for the lower margin of the net almost to touch the ground (or be even lower than it appears in Fig. 1) without existing at all gathered upward by my improved means for securing the band to the ground.

My invention contemplates the combination, with a tennis net, of equipment to hold down to a given elevation the top margin of the net when supported in substantially horizontally extending state including a flat torsion band straddling the top marginal portion of the net and arranged to depend therefrom when the latter is so supported, and means to tension the band, when so depending, comprising an anchor device to be set in the ground and a device forming a bayonetjoint connection with the anchor device and attached to the depending part of the band and confined thereto against rotation relatively thereto, but rotative in the anchor device, around an upright when the anchor device has been so set in the ground. By the term torsion band I mean one, such as the usual band specified, which resists the effort to twist it when it is in a state of tension.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Means for anchoring to the ground a band straddling a tennis net or the like including an anchor device to be set in fixed position in the ground and having an upwardly open substan tially tubular socket and a coupling device formed throughout of sheet metal and having a su stantially horizontal disk in the socket and a flat shank upstanding from and bisecting the disk and to which to attach the band, said anchor device having spaced projections projecting into its socket over the disk and the disk having notches arranged, on rotating the coupling member, to register with the projections and clear the latter when the coupling member is then elevated.

2. The means set forth in claim 1 characterized by the upstanding shank forming a fork to the extremities. of which the ends of the band may be attached.

3. Means for anchoring to the ground a band to straddle a tennis net or the like including an anchor device to be set in the ground and a coupling device to be attached to the band and including an upright shank and flat spaced upper and lower horizontal portions each bisected by an upright plane cutting the shank and the upper portion providing at both sides of said plane means to which to attach the band and the lower portion being intercoupleable with the anchor device, said coupling comprising two counterpart sheet-metal blanks secured together and each bent to form with the other said shank and portions.

ROYCE S. BUNKER. 

